Sheik Yer Mami? This racist image appears on Sheik Yer Mami’s site.

Islamophobes rely on pseudo-scholars to validate their anti-Muslim beliefs. One of the pioneers in this was Bat Ye’or, who with absolutely no academic qualifications to speak of, was self-anointed a “scholar of Islam.” Robert Spencer dubbed her a “pioneering scholar” of Islamic studies. Not long after starting his blogging career, Spencer himself donned the title of “the acclaimed scholar of Islam,” an epithet which is found on his website. This, even though his master’s degree is in Christian studies. He has no educational degree related to Islam, at all.

When confronted with this uncomfortable fact, Spencer’s minions point out that he has written many “best-selling books.” So, does anyone who writes “best-selling books” become a scholar? Is the author of the Harry Potter series a scholar?

It seems that if you devote enough hours to blogging against Islam and cyber-attend Jihad Watch University (JWU), you can eventually claim “scholar of Islam” status. The latest claimant to this title is Sheik YerMami, a raving anti-Muslim blogger/lunatic. He’s been blogging for long enough that the gods of the anti-Muslim blogosphere have granted him the right to call himself a “scholar of Islam.” Here is what Sheik YerMami said (emphasis added):

I am a scholar of Islam and I rely on Koran, sira & hadith, not on loon watch.

What academic qualifications does he have to claim “scholar” status? Anyone?

Update I:

Sheik YerMami responded with a long, incoherent, and rambling reply to LoonWatch. He exhibits what is called a flight of ideas. Yet, even with all that ranting and raving, not a single word defends his claim–one which we challenged–of being a “scholar of Islam.”

Obviously because someone claims to be Muslim in Hadeeth it gives them the right to kill disbelievers. (dripping sarcasm)
How about just sticking to the Qur’an? Oh wait he won’t understand this message…he spells Qur’an the American way.

//Muhd Bennett 21 October 2011 at 8:41 am

when challenged he did nothing to refute any of the arguments presented to him all he did was spout off about taqiyya, scholer right my dog is more of a scholer then him.

looks like someone likes wahhab. maybe salaam is from the house of saud. i remember you posting about the british guy before. still yet to see him come up anywhere. who exactly are you talking about. perhaps you can embarrass me by filling me in on a name?